Gujarat police bust NEET cheating racket, arrest five, allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh per candidate
- In Reports
- 06:35 PM, Jun 15, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Gujarat police in Panchmahal district have arrested five individuals, among them a school principal and a teacher, for allegedly masterminding a cheating scam during the NEET-UG examination.
Following a tip-off, the police uncovered a cheating plot at a designated NEET-UG centre in Godhra, leading to the arrest of several individuals. Those arrested include Tushar Bhatt, school principal Parshottam Sharma, Vadodara-based education consultant Parsuram Roy, Roy's associate Vibhor Anand, and middleman Arif Vohra.
The investigation into the case has revealed transactions amounting to over Rs 12 crore involving students, their parents, and the accused individuals. Suspects allegedly attempted to facilitate cheating in the NEET exam for a fee of Rs 10 lakh per candidate.
The inquiry began after the district collector received information about potential malpractice at the exam centre on 5th May. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged on 9th May at Godhra taluka police station, prompting authorities to intervene and prevent irregularities during the examination.
During the course of the investigation, Rs 7 lakh in cash was recovered from Tushar Bhatt, who held the position of deputy centre superintendent for the NEET exam. Additionally, cheques totalling Rs 2.30 crore were discovered at the office of Parsuram Roy, an education consultant accused of promising guaranteed success in the exam for a fee.
Superintendent of Police Himanshu Solanki stated, "Roy had convinced at least 27 of his students that he could ensure their success in clearing the exam for Rs 10 lakh. We found cheques amounting to Rs 2.30 crore during a raid at his office. Officials had preemptively reached the exam centre based on the tip-off received about Bhatt's involvement in malpractice, thereby averting any wrongdoing."
Parshuram Roy, the primary accused who operates a coaching centre in Vadodara, allegedly directed students to leave unanswered questions during the NEET exam, assuring them that Tushar Bhatt would fill in the answers afterward. Roy purportedly coordinated the scheme through Arif Vahora.
The district's additional collector and education officer were present at the examination centre, where they interrogated Bhatt and examined his mobile phone. They discovered a WhatsApp message from Roy containing a list of 16 candidates' names, roll numbers, and exam centre details, as outlined in the FIR.
According to the investigation, Roy sent details of 26 candidates to Tushar Bhatt, a teacher at Jai Jalaram School in Godhra, through Arif. Six of these candidates took the exam at one centre of Jai Jalaram School, while the remaining 20 candidates were assigned to another centre of the same school.
Image source: Deccan Heralds
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